NHMRC Development Grants 2025
Pictured A/Prof Fiona Brownfoot
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Newborn Health researcher A/Prof Fiona Brownfoot has been awarded a NHMRC Development Grants 2025 for their project Novel Nanosensor for Real-Time Fetal Monitoring in Labour: Towards Safer Births Worldwide.
Novel Nanosensor for Real-Time Fetal Monitoring in Labour: Towards Safer Births Worldwide project summary:
Birth asphyxia is a leading cause of cerebral palsy, developmental delay and death in term babies. This is caused by the uterine contractions of labour limiting blood supply and oxygen to the fetus. Fetal cells starved of oxygen switch their metabolism to a less efficient pathway that does not require oxygen, anaerobic metabolism. A byproduct of this is acid, which is toxic to tissues and can injure major organ systems.
Currently we use the fetal heart rate (CTG) as a surrogate marker to assess fetal oxygen status in labour. However it has a low specificity at only 40% and a corresponding low positive predictive value. To improve the diagnostic accuracy our current gold standard to detect fetal hypoxia in labour was introduced, intermittent fetal scalp pH sampling. Unfortunately performing a fetal scalp pH is highly invasive and requires a skilled clinician. It can only be performed sparingly, which can miss the critical time a baby becomes asphyxia.
Our team has engineered a novel pH sensor to continuously detect fetal pH during labour. Our sensor is exquisitely accurate at determining pH to within +/-0.05. In this project we will develop an application device and sensor approved for use by a ethics committee for human clinical trial. In conclusion, we will have a novel device continuously measuring fetal scalp pH.
A/Prof Fiona Brownfoot is the CIA leading this project with fellow team members, Prof Marimuthu Palaniswami & Dr Abu Ul Hassan Sarwar Rana.
Administered under the Development Grants scheme, A/Prof Brownfoot is 1 of 15 lead investigators who will undertake proof of concept research that will be expedited into commercial outcomes, resulting in improved health and medical knowledge.